Player piano



Nov. 23, 1926. 1,607,976

F. c. WHITE PLAYER PIANO Original Filed Jan. 27, 1921 Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

Lemans PATE FRANK C. ,VI-ITE, OF MER-DEN, CNNECTCUT.

PLAYER PINO.

Application filed January 27, 1921, Serial No. 440,296. Renewed April 24, 1925.

This invention relates to player-pianos and more particularly to improvements relating to the tracker bar and music sheet and instrumentalities controlled thereby.

It is an object of the invention to provide simple, permanent and efficient means whereby the tracker bar may be adjusted relatively to the note sheet to change the key of the music being played without the possij A more specific object is to provide im provedL means whereby a tracker4 bar can be adjusted to transpose the music key and whereby expression devices designed for automatic actuation in the normal adjustment of the parts are rendered inoperative in the transposed adjustment.

Another object is to provide an improved player-piano having features of structural superiority and functional advantage as will more fully appear in connection with the following description of the accompanying` drawing which illustrates, with some parts schematically represented, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising an improved tracker bar and associated devices.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is provided a tracker bar 1 having a series of note openings 2 which are connected by ducts with the corresponding` action pneumatics in a well understood main ner and are arranged for exposure to atmosphere by a registry therewith of note openings 3 in the music sheet i as the latter travels during the playing operation. The sheet l is further provided with openings 5 arranged adjacent each edge and normally traveling in paths whereby these openings may register with complementary expression openings 5 at the ends of the tracker bar beyond the openings 2.

Ey the present invention the tracker bar is further provided with openings 6 and 7 under one edge of the sheet i and openings 8 and 9 under the other edge. The openings 6 and 8 are connected by a duct 10 and both are in communication by a duct 11 with an automatic expression unit or mechanism 12 which governs the treble section of the piano. Likewise the openings 7 and 9 are connected by a duct 13, and .both are connected by a duct 14: with an automatic expression unit or mechanism 15 for the bass section of the piano. 'Y

In normal operation of the instrument the music sheet is wound from a delivery spool to a take-up spool (not shown), 'and is guided in its travel to insure a registry between the corresponding note openings in the sheet and the tracker bar and between Vthe marginal expression openings 5 in the note sheet and the expression openings 5 in the tracker bar. The guiding means mentioned may be of suitable construction and operation as is well understood in the art.

The tracker bar 1 is also mounted and arranged for endwise movement, that is, laterally with respect to the music sheet, and in the form shown, for this purpose the tracker bar at one end may be provided with a notch 16 which receives a` knurled Hansje 17 fixed to a threaded shaft 18, the ends tdf the latter taking into threads of any complementary fixed members whereby manual rotation of the flange 17 moves' 'the latter laterally and carries therewith the tracker bar 1 to a governed position. By the ar- Vrangement described it will be observed that the position of the tracker bar relatively to the note sheet may be controlled to alter the registry of the note openings in the music sheet and tracker bar to efl'ect a transpmV sition of the key ofthe music being played.

The tracker bar 1 is also provided with openings 20 and 21 which in the normal relative position of the. note sheet are dis posed beyond the edges of the latter and therefore exposed to atmosphere. T he opening 20 is connected by a duct 22 to a chamber 23 schematically illustrated and enclosing` the upper three action or striker pneumatics in the treble section of the piano. More specitically the chamber 23 is constructed Yso that vthe pneumatic act-ions for the upper three treble notes are operable to play only' when and while the opening 2O is uncovered by the music sheet. Similarly the opening 21 is connected by a duct 24 to a chamber 2K5 which. encloscs the lower three striker pneumatics in the. base section of the instrument, and the chamber is also so constructA4 ed as to allow the actuation of said pneumatics for the lower three notes only when and while the opening 2l in the tracker bar is uncovered by the note sheet.

In normal operation, that is, with the tracker bar positioned so that the instrument plays in the designed music key, openings 2O and 2l are both exposed and consequently all the striker pneumatics are operable and under the control of the note openings 3 in the music sheet as the latter travels over the tracker bar. In this condition also the expression openings 5 are positioned for regstry with the expression openings 5 in the music sheet, so that, in reproducing, the instrument is controlled automatically both as to notes and as to expression.

lVhen, however, itis desired to transpose the key of the composition being played, the

tracker bar l may be adjusted as described. lf, for example, the key is to be raised the tracker bar will be adjusted to the left as shown, and thus the note openings in the tracker bar moved to register with lower scale note openings in the music sheet; at the same time the openings 6 and 7 of the tracker bar will be moved beyond the edge of the music sheet so that the expression units 12 and l5 will be opened to atmos phere so as to be inoperative as to their graduated controlling function. At the same time also the tracker bar opening 21 moves under the imperforate edge of the music sheet, thus cutting ollil the atmospheric communication through duct 24 to the chamber 25 and consequently rendering inoperative the pneumatic actions for the lowest three notes in the bass section of the instrument. It will therefore be noted that discord or false playing which might otherwise occur by reason of the now possible registryof the expression openings 5 at the left margin of the music sheet 4 with one of the three note. openings 2 at the left end of thetracker bar l is effectually and simply prevented. ln a similar manner undesigned actuation of the automaticexpression units l2 and l5 which might otherwise occur byA reason of the now possible registry of the note openings 3 at the right hand margin of the music sheet l with the expression opening 5 at the right end of the tracker barH is also elfectually and simply prevented.

Conversely when the tracker bar is shifted to the right to lower the key of the composition to be played, the chamber 23 is closed to atmosphereI by the covering of the tracker bar opening' 20 so that the action pneumatics for the'uppermost three notes in the treble section of the instrument are rendered ineffective, and by exposure of the tracker bar openings 8 and 9 to atmosphere the automatic expression units' l2 and l5 are again rendered non-operative. It will be understood, however, that variation in the expression may still be effected through the control of manual instrumentalities such as commonly employed.V

It will thus appear that the structural features of the invention as above described are simple and compact, and that the operation and function of the parts are inherently efficient and permanently reliable. It vis also-to be understood that the invention, viewed from certain aspects, is capable of' 'modication both with respect 'to constructional details and functional results. For example, the openings 20 and 2l of lthe tracker bar could be operatively connected with the mechanisms other than those hereinabove specifically referred to, such as mechan nisms for effecting the well-known mandolin tone. lin such an en'ibodinicnt the music sheets to be employed would pre tei-ably omit the marginal expression openings 5 so that the adjustment of the tracker bar l. would effect both a transposition of the key of the composition to be played and alter the tonal effect of the piano.

As many changes could be made in the above vconstruction and many apparentlyY widely different embodiments of thisinifeiition could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the. above description or shown in the accomjianying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the` generic and specific features of the invention herein describedy and all statements of the scope of the in-l vention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. i

Having described my invention, what claim new and desire to secure bv Letters Patentis: u

l. In a player piano, in combination, a music sheet having` note openings, a tracker bar having complementary note openings and having a set of other openings at onposite ends of said bar which communicate with each other and are arranged to be normally ycovered by the edges of the sheet, auxiliary devices communicating with said mentioned openings in the tracker bar, and other openings whereby said tracker bar may be shifted relatively to said sheet to alter the music key, one of said other openings being uncovered by the sheet upon such adjustment to effect the operation of one of said auxiliary devices.

In a player piano, in combination, a music sheet having note openings and mar ginal expression openings, a tracker bar having complementary note and expression openings positioned for registry with the corresponding sheet openings in norma-l key relationship of the sheet and bar, adjusting means whereby said tracker bar may be IBO shifted relatively to the sheet te transpose the key of the music to berplayed, expression devices connected with said expression openings in the tracker bar, and pneumatic means whereby said adjustment renders said expression devices ineffective.

3. In a player' piano, in combination, a music sheet having note openings, a tracker bar having complementary note openings, means whereby said tracker bar may be shifted laterally relatively to said sheet to vary the registry of the note openings in the sheet and in said bar for changing the key of the composition to be played, auxiliary mechanism to effect the musical character of the composition to be'played, pneumatic means for governing'the player n'iechanism, and openings in said tracker bar for control ling said pneumatic means, said openings being controlled by said music sheet.

fl. In a piano player, in combination, a music sheet having note openings, a tracker bar having complementary note openings therein, means whereby said tracker bar may be shifted laterally relatively lto said sheet to vary the registry of the openings in the sheet with the openings in the tracker for changing the key of the composition to be played, auxiliary player controlling mechanism including separate pneumatic means, and a duct in the tracker bar for each of said pneumatic means, both of said ducts being normally covered by the music sheet, one or the other of said chiots being exposed to atmosphere on the shifting of said bar relatively to said sheet, to change the key.

In a player piano, in combination, a music sheet having note openings, a tracker bar having complementary openings, said bar being laterally adjustable relatively to said sheet to vary the registry of said openings and for raising or lowering the key of the composition to be played, said sheet also having other openings to control pneumatically the expression of the composition to be played in normal key, and pneumatic means to render inoperative the action of certain playing mechanism otherwise susceptible of actuation by registery of one of the last-mentioned openings in the sheet with a note opening in the bar when said sheet and bar are shifted to play in a transposed key.

(i. In a player piano the combination deiined in claim 5 wherein the pneumatic means includes openings in the tracker bar uncovered by the sheet as played in normal key but one of said openings being covered by the sheet as played in the transposed key.

7. In a player piano, in combination, a music sheet having note openings and marginal expression openings, a tracker bar having note openings and marginal expression openings normally disposed Within the boundaries of the sheet and having end openings normally without the boundaries of the sheet, the last menti-cned opening at. the bass end of the tracker bar being operatively connected with a treble pneumatic action and the last mentioned opening at the treble end Vof the tracker bar being operatively connected with a bass pneumatic action, with means whereby said bar may be shifted relatively to said sheet to vary the registry of the note openings for changing the key of the composition to be played, and said adjustment effecting the closure of one of said end openings by the sheet to render inoperative the pneumatic action connected therewith.

8. In a player piano, incombination, a music sheet having note openings and marginal expression openings, a tracker bar having complementary note openings and eX- pression openings, treble and bass expression devices, said tracker bar also having end openings normally covered by the sheet and operatively communicating with said expression devices and having other end openings normally uncovered by the sheet and operatively communicating with bass and treble pneumatic actions, with means Whereby said bar may be shifted relatively to said sheet to vary the registry of the note openings in said sheet and bar for changing the key of the composition to be played, such adjustment also causing the exposure to atmosphere of end openings in said bar communicating with said expression devices to render the latter inoperative and causing the closure of one of said other end openings in the bar communicating with a pneumatic action to render the latter inoperative during play in the transposed key.

In testimonyV whereof I aiiix my signature.

FRANK C. WHITE. 

